grsthegreat
Super Star Member
I wire in septic pump motors for 3 contractors…new construction only….and all 3 recommend pumping every 5 years as a minimum. They have all told me of having to establish new drain fields for people that dont pump their systems. And none like to deal with old, used systems. They beg their clients to pump them.Ok, so, pumping, I'll give you what I see; the septic contractors that run a pump service will recommend having a system pumped every 1-5 years, the septic contractors that just do new installs and/or repairs (and the pumping required for repairs) general don't locally recommend pumping. A functional system should last many many years. Honestly, if your needing to pump every year or every 2-3, either you are paranoid, or have a problem. Tons of folks go 20-30+ years having never pumped.
Now, to the smell; can you visually see the access or is it buried? You say "lid" which to me, is the top slab on a concrete tank, but the majority of tanks are poly or fiberglass now, although concrete is still used. If we mean the actual access (often there are two), is visible, clean around it, and see if that is where the smell is coming. A septic tank, by vary definition should be without air, totally different bugs than a aerobic system like a sewer plant.
Being used so little, it is possible that is the source of the problem, but I'm guessing it's more likely the "lid". You still want to maintain access for future, but you could seal the outside with a tar/bituminous product. It won't be "easy" to open, but it still can be.
As far as checking if it needs pumped, and if we are able to see the actual access, you can open it, and take a pipe or stick and get an idea of how much solids have built up. The tank will be full, but we should have oils on top (thin layer, shouldnt be a lot), water, and the very bottom will be sludge and solids. I Highly doubt, that after just a few years, of seasonal usage, the sludge/solids are needing pumped.
And their not in the pumping business.
I dont care how the system is set up, they all get sludge built up.